Good morning,

There are so many opportunities to be discouraged as we look at the world around us; everything seems to tell us to just stop trying… which is exactly why we have to push on even harder.

Here is the Texas Minute for Friday, September 30, 2022.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

NOTE: Today is the last day to make a nomination for the Conservative Leader Award! This award is for citizen activists and grassroots leaders – not politicians or candidates. Use the web form to nominate someone today… and don’t forget to get tickets for the Conservative Leader Awards dinner!

Venezuela Sends Criminals to Texas

• Venezuela is using the unsecured border to send their problematic criminals to America, according to border security expert Victor Avila. Sydnie Henry has the details.
    
• Avila said he “received information weeks ago about the Venezuelan government releasing these violent criminals from their prisons and rehabilitation centers.”
      
• “Maduro, the president over there, is sending these criminals—releasing them from prison—straight to the state of Texas.” – Victor Avila
      

• According to Avila, these are “hardcore criminals.” He added, “And we’re talking about burglars, rapists, killers, murderers, you name it. They’ll rob you, cheat you, and we’re allowing them just to walk in.”
      

• The number of Venezuelans, Cubans, and Nicaraguans crossing the border illegally have skyrocketed in the past year, with a 175 percent increase from August 2021 to August 2022.
      

• So far, 31 counties have declared the crisis at the border to be an invasion and implored Gov. Greg Abbott to do likewise. The governor has not responded.

📺 The Headline: Watch It Now!

• Start the end of your week with Brandon Waltens on The Headline. This week’s show starts with revelations that a North Texas school district is promoting “queer sex ed” behind parents’ backs.
      
• Also… Robert Montoya details how President Biden’s vaccine mandate could affect thousands of Texas soldiers. Plus, Trey Dimsdale from First Liberty Institute explains why Texas is lagging when it comes to protecting religious liberty.
      
• Watch the show on YouTube or Rumble!

Frazier Faces Internal Affairs Inquiry

• Frederick Frazier, the Republican nominee for House District 61, is on administrative leave from the Dallas Police Department following a felony indictment in June related to his alleged activities during the GOP primary campaign. Erin Anderson has the background and new details.
     
• A former McKinney City Council member, Frazier was indicted in June on criminal charges of impersonating a public servant, a third-degree felony, and placed on administrative leave. Specifically, he is accused of impersonating a code compliance officer and instructing a local Walmart to remove the signs of his primary opponent, Paul Chabot.
     
• A detective with Dallas PD’s Internal Affairs Division confirmed to Texas Scorecard that Frazier is the subject of an active investigation, but couldn’t comment further. It is unclear if the department’s internal investigation is related to the felony impersonation case.

Frisco Methodist Church Hosts LGTBQ Pride Party

• Grace Avenue United Methodist Church in the Dallas suburb of Frisco has announced its plans to host a “pride” block party early next month. Soli Rice reports the event promises to provide “education” and “resources” to children and teens.
     
• “The LGBTQ+ community is one of the biggest proponents of the ‘kid-friendly’ and ‘family-friendly’ drag shows and drag bingos across the state,” Texas Family Project President Chris Hopper told Texas Scorecard.  “Let’s be clear: This movement is anti-family and actually preys on weak parents and confused minors in order to push their agenda, which aims to sexualize kids and profit from the chaos.”

📺 A Conversation About Faith-Based Diplomacy

• No global problem has seemed more intractable in the modern age than the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. It should come as no surprise that a Texan is deep in the middle of trying to resolve it, pursuing “faith-based diplomacy” on behalf of Israel. My friend Josh Reinstein spent his formative years in Dallas, before moving to Canada and, ultimately, Israel. Today, he is the director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and president of the Israel Allies Foundation.
      

• Listed as among the 50 most influential Jews in the world, Reinstein works to build international relations on the basis of Judeo-Christian values. In this Conversation, you’ll learn more about his work and how being a Texan brought a unique vision to his work. Watch it on YouTube or Rumble.

Friday Reflection: Don’t Give Up Now

A while back, my teenage son asked me to participate in a 5K race with him. In many ways, I still define myself as a runner. I used to run for miles and miles, and could all but sprint 5Ks.

Anymore, at best, I can be described as an aggressive jogger.

I know what he was saying: “Dad, will you drive me to the race so I can speed past you, and then be eating doughnuts in the truck when you finally stagger across the finish line?”

So, of course, I agreed.

A quarter of the way through, my left knee was bugging me. Then the other. Gotta keep going, I told myself.

There was a lovely spot where it would have been nice to sit and rest, perhaps read for a bit. 

I didn’t, mainly because there were all these other people trudging along, too. One fellow had mentioned before the race it was his first time to run after his car accident. A nearby lady’s t-shirt proclaimed she was a cancer survivor. How could I stop?

I was reminded of the words of Paul in Hebrews 12, “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

The most important word there isn’t run – it’s perseverance.

We’re called to persevere, to keep going. That’s even more true in the fight for liberty than a race. It’s easy to be discouraged by the faithless and feckless politicians for whom we have spent time, energy, money, and sweat. It’s easy to be pained by their unending capacity to capitulate against us.

It is OK to slow down, to change up the pace, to even walk a few steps; but it’s never OK to give up. It’s not acceptable to stop. The republic is counting on us.

We should take encouragement from those struggling alongside us, and be an encouragement to those looking weary.

We must persevere. We must keep going, reaching further, never stopping. Not now, not ever.

The fate of the republic rests on the perseverance of patriots. As Patrick Henry once proclaimed, “The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” This American experiment in self-governance is only lost when the people give up.

A 5K ends after, well, five kilometers. The course of self-governance is never complete. To secure liberty and its blessings, we must keep running, keep fighting, keep persevering.